Arizona Diamondbacks lose to Chicago Cubs, fall to second place in NL West

UP NEXT:D-Backs vs. CubsWhen: Tuesday at 6:40 p.m.Where: Chase Field.TV: FSAZ.Radio: 620 AM, 106.9 FM, 710 AM.Pitchers: Diamondbacks LHP Pat Corbin (11-1, 2.35) vs. Cubs LHP Travis Wood (6-6, 2.79).Roof hotline: 602-462-6262. Notable: Coming off his first All-Star appearance, Corbin is 7-0 with a 1.54 ERA in 10 home starts. He won his last two starts – over the Brewers and Rockies and allowed just two earned runs over 14 2/3 innings. He also beat the Cubs on June 2, allowing four runs in an 8-4 victory. Cleanup hitters are batting .151 against Corbin, going 8 for 53 with one home run and three RBIs. … Wood, who is also coming off his first All-Star appearance, will be making his 20th start. He got a no-decision his last time out, a 10-6 loss to the Cardinals in which he allowed three runs on a season-high 10 hits.

PHOENIX -- If their offense doesn’t come around rather quickly, the Diamondbacks could find themselves in worse position than just second place in the National League West.

After sitting in first place for 66 days, they finally lost their lead in the division, thanks to a 4-2 loss Monday night to the visiting Chicago Cubs that was coupled with yet another victory by the surging Los Angeles Dodgers.

If the Dodgers keep staying hot and the Diamondbacks stay cold, Arizona could tumble a lot further.

“There’s a long way left to go in the season, but it is a loss,” manager Kirk Gibson said. “I don’t think you change the way you’re doing things. We’re trying to play good ball. We’re trying to make good plays. We’re trying to swing the bat and pitch as good as we can.

“There’s a long way to go. This doesn’t mean we’re out of it by any means.”

Arizona’s offense, though, has gone completely stagnant. The Diamondbacks, losers of four of their past five, are hitting .194 (69 for 355) in their past 10 games and .143 (6 for 42) with runners in scoring position in their past seven games.

Monday, they managed just six hits off six Cubs pitchers, including emergency starter Chris Rusin (1-0), who took Matt Garza’s scheduled start after Garza was traded earlier Monday to the Texas Rangers for prospects.

The Cubs got a solo home run from catcher Dioner Navarro and a two-run shot from rookie center fielder Junior Lake, who went 4 for 5 and also drove in an insurance run in the ninth.

Martin Prado hit a run-scoring sacrifice fly and Paul Goldschmidt delivered an RBI single up the middle for both of Arizona’s runs in the sixth.

“That’s baseball for us right now,” outfielder Gerardo Parra said. “We’re not hitting right now and not everybody is doing good. But tomorrow’s another day so let’s continue to play hard and let’s continue to try and win.”

Prado said there is no panic creeping through the Diamondbacks’ clubhouse, even though the club finally lost its grip on first place.

“No, no, no. Not at all,” he said. “There’s nothing like that going on here. All we’re thinking about it coming out and playing hard, coming out and thinking about winning.”

Ziegler improves vs. lefties

Earlier this season, Diamondbacks right-hander Brad Ziegler would turn his attention to the opponent’s lineup by the sixth or seventh inning to gauge when he might be called on to make an appearance judging by the cluster of right-handed hitters.

Now that he’s been anointed with closing duties, Ziegler is responsible for getting hitters on both sides of the plate out, and that hasn’t been too much of a challenge.

Before the Diamondbacks opened a four-game set against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, Ziegler had converted all four saves opportunities he’s received and lefties are hitting .222 against him — a noticeable jump from the .268 average they carried against him last season and an even more impressive improvement from their production in 2011 when they hit .373.

“My change-up’s definitely been better,” Ziegler said. “But a lot of it is just executing fastballs, as well, focusing on keeping the ball down, and when I elevate it a little bit, lefties can elevate that pitch a little better.”

The work started in the off-season and extended into spring training when Ziegler, perhaps, overused the pitch.

“I was throwing it when it wasn’t a good time to throw it just because I wanted to keep throwing it,” he said. “The results are finally starting to come where I’m extremely confident. I’ll throw it in any count now.”

It’s unclear how long Ziegler’s stint at closer will last. Gibson is OK with using Ziegler earlier in the game if the team needs a double play, and Ziegler recognizes that role complements his game.

But this opportunity has certainly enhanced Ziegler’s overall approach.

“Ideally, if everybody’s pitching well, I’m not our closer,” Ziegler said. “J.J. (Putz)’s the guy, or Heath (Bell’s) the guy or David (Hernandez’s) the guy. Just their style of pitching is better suited for that role. I’m better suited to come in with runners on base.

“At the same time, if those guys are struggling, if they feel I’m the best guy for that spot, then I’ll jump in there and try to get three outs.”

Rehab continues

Right-hander Brandon McCarthy made his first rehab start in his recovery from shoulder inflammation Sunday with Triple-A Reno, allowing six runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.

McCarthy also had two walks and a strikeout. He gave up a walk, two singles, two doubles and a home run in the fifth inning. He’ll start again in Reno on Friday.

“My pitches just kind of stopped moving,” McCarthy said. “They just kind of stayed on the plate. It showed up in the results. But the first four innings is what I’m encouraged by. I wasn’t sharp, but I was very, very close. For a day everything wasn’t as sharp as I liked, I was able to get outs and make the pitches I wanted to make. So that was all good.”

McCarthy is with the team this week but will make another start for Reno Friday.

“Just looking at it, he didn’t finish very strong,” Gibson said. “But that’s why he’s down there — to build up his strength (and) endurance.”

Garza traded

Right-hander Garza was scheduled to start for the Cubs on Monday against the Diamondbacks, but Garza was scratched that afternoon and then traded to the Texas Rangers in exchange for three prospects and at least one player to be named later.

The Cubs called on left-hander Rusin to take Garza’s place. Rusin had been at Triple-A Iowa.

“I came in here and made an ‘A’ lineup and a ‘B’ lineup with the anticipation it could happen,” Gibson said.

Short hop

To make room on the 25-man roster for Monday’s starter, left-hander Tyler Skaggs, the Diamondbacks optioned left-hander Eury De la Rosa to Triple-A Reno.

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